Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a storage unit which stores a substrate for cleaning, a transfer apparatus which includes the storage unit, and a substrate processing system which includes the transfer apparatus.
Related Background Art
In manufacturing of an electronic device, a substrate processing system is used. In general, the substrate processing system includes a loader module, a load lock module, a transfer module, and a plurality of process modules.
The loader module is a transfer apparatus which transfers a substrate under an atmospheric pressure environment. The loader module provides a transfer chamber which, is set to an atmospheric pressure, and includes a transfer robot in the transfer chamber. The transfer robot of the loader module is configured to transfer the substrate between a front opening unified pod (FOUP) and the load lock module.
The load lock module provides a preliminary depressurized chamber, and is provided between the loader module and the transfer module. The transfer module provides a depressurizable transfer chamber, and includes a transfer robot in the transfer chamber. The transfer robot of the transfer module transfers a wafer between the load lock module and the plurality of process modules. Each of the plurality of process modules is a substrate processing apparatus which is configured to perform dedicated processing of a substrate such as plasma etching, film forming, or heat treatment.
In the substrate processing system, the wafer taken out from the FOUP is transferred into the process module via the loader module, the load lock module, and the transfer module. Subsequently, the substrate is processed in one or more process modules. The processed substrate is returned to the FOUP via the transfer module, the load lock module, and the loader module. Such a substrate processing system is described in, for example, Japanese patent application Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-225641.